Young girl shaken after paddle-board is blown out to sea

She was separated from her paddle board and fell into the water.

A young girl has been left shaken after her paddleboard was swept out to sea in Skerries this week. The incident took place on Monday, August 1st. According to Skerries RNLI, the young paddleboarder was separated from her board and fell into the water. The Skerries RNLI team was alerted by the Dublin Coast Guard. "The volunteers in Skerries launched their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat “Louis Simson” shortly after 2pm and within minutes of the pagers sounding." "The lifeboat launched and set a direct course for Balbriggan harbour." Dublin Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 116 and Skerries Coast Guard unit also assisted with the rescue. Before the crew arrived on the scene, they were told the young girl had been separated from her board. The helicopter located her in the water, but it is believed she was struggling to stay afloat. The team on the helicopter guided the lifeboat crew to the young girl.

"We are seeing a rise in calls to paddleboards and kayaks"

Skerries RNLI stated, "As the lifeboat approached it became obvious that the girl was starting to tire and struggling to reach for the boat." Luckily, one of the volunteer crew entered the water and swam to her to keep her afloat. The volunteer then helped her reach the lifeboat. Once the young girl was on board, the team conducted a first aid assessment. Thankfully, she did not suffer any major injuries. However, she was shaken after the incident. The team also said the girl was tired and cold. The team reunited the girl with her parents after the rescue. They also retrieved the paddleboard from the water. Speaking about the incident, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Skerries RNLI, Gerry Canning said: "Unfortunately we are seeing a rise in calls to paddleboards and kayaks. "The breeze can take a person away from the shore quite quickly. Our advice is to always wear a lifejacket and carry a means of contacting the shore, even if you don’t intend on going far from the shore." Feature Image: RNLI Skerries